Submarine tank and method of fabricating

ABSTRACT

A submarine tank is provided by joining pipes end to end to form a first hollow ring. Vertical side plates are then secured to the pipes with each two adjacent side plates joined together to form a fluid-tight first peripheral wall on the first ring. At least one bottom plate having a plurality of holes is thereafter fixed to the inner face of the first peripheral wall. In the same manner as with the first ring, a second hollow ring is built on and joined to the first peripheral wall. By supplying sea water into the first ring the structure already fabricated is lowered into the sea to a level suitable to the subsequent construction work. In the same manner as above, a second to nth peripheral walls and a third to nth hollow rings are alternately built to obtain an upwardly extending joined structure while the structure already fabricated is progressively lowered. Finally, a cover plate is fixed to the nth hollow ring.

9/1958 Wyllie 114/05 T tte Sttes Pate t [1 1 9 irowatari et al. June 4, 1974 V SUBMARINE TANK AND METHOD OF 3,304.90: 2/1967 Georgll 1:4/77 R FABRHCATING 3,435,793 4/1969 Shurtleff 114/.5 T [75] Inventors: Tomoyulti Hirowatari; Tomomichi Kurihara; Akihisa Kolcumai; Tom Primary E'mmmer Trygve Bhx Hon]; Takaaki Tanimoto a" of Assistant Examiner-Charles E. Frankfort Osaka, Japan '73 Assignee: Hitachi Shipbuilding and 1 ASTRACT Engmeenng Osaka Japan A submarine tank is provided by joining pipes end to [22] Filed: Sept. 17, 1970 end to form a first hollow ring. Vertical side plates are then secured to the pipes with each two adjacent side 7 [2| 1 Appl' 72,999 plates joined together to form a fluid-tight first peripheral wall on the first ring. At least one bottom plate 30 Foreign A li ti priority Data having a plurality of holes is thereafter fixed to the Sc t 24 1969 M an 4476436 inner face of the first per pheral wall. 1n the same 969 Japan 445,64 manner as with the first ring, a second hollow ring is p p i built on and joined to the first peripheral wall. By supplying sea water into the first ring the structure alc Cflh ready fabricated is lowered into the Sea to a level Suit [58] i 74 T 65 able to the subsequent construction work. In the same 46 1 manner as above, a second to nth peripheral walls and a third to nth hollow rings are alternately built to ob- [56] References Cited tain an upwardly extending joined structure while the structure already fabricated is progressively lowered. UNITED STATES PATENTS Finally, a cover plate is fixed to the nth hollow ring. 2,820,568 l/l958 Zick et al r 220/71 X 2,854,049 6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEUJUN 4 I914 SHEET 1 OF 2 FIG. 2v

PATENTEBJUM 4.914

SHEET 2' [1F 2 SUBMARINE TANK AND METHOD OF FABRICATING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for fabricating a submarine tank and more particularly to a method for fabricating a tank of a large capacity to be positioned on the bottom of the sea for storing oils,

crude oil and petroleum products.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides an inexpensive yet strong and durable tank and a method for constructing a tank which is positioned on the sea bottom where there is no limit on the space available and no hazard of fire when oil is stored in the tank obtained. The tank can be constructed on the surface of the sea at the location where the tank is to be installed, and the method insures extremely easy construction operation by progressively lowering fabricated structure into the sea. The invention takes full advantage of the fact that the tank is installed on the bottom of the sea. Because the space available is not limited, a large-sized tank of a desired capacity can be built. By charging sea water into the tubular rings and allowing the sea water to flow into the interior, the structure already fabricated can be progressively lowered into the sea, which always insures very convenient working positions for construction. When oil is stored, the submerged tank is protected against hazards of tire and the foregoing structure serves to seal the oil with sea water at the bottom portion even if the oil is not filled in the tank to the full. With a structure comprising peripheral walls and hollow rings alternately arranged, the rings serve as ribs to reinforce the tank so that the structure, even where it is of a large capacity, is strong and durable. Moreover, since the pressures in the interior and exterior of the tank are kept in balance by virtue of the foregoing structure of this invention, the tank can be made of relatively thin plates with'a resultant advantage that the cost of material is reduced.

The present invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, a floating work platform 1 made of rafts is first provided around a tank to be constructed. Hollow metal pipes 2 are joined together one after another by welding the ends thereof to hollow joint blocks 3 which are trapezoidal in plan and rectangular in transverse elevation so as to form a first hollow and air-tight and water-tight dodecagonal ring R Referring to FIG. 2, the tubular pipes are approximately inscribed within the rectangular cross section of the blocks. Metal side plates 4 are then placed vertically on and welded to the pipes 2. Each side plate is approximately the same length as the pipe to which it is joined, and a vertically extending tubular support 5 is positioned between the adjacent ends of each pair of adjacent plates. Each plate is then welded to the tubular support to provide an air-tight and water-tight vertical seam or joint between the plates. The tubular support is also welded to the associated joint block 3 below the ends of the plates. The side plates 4 are formed into the same dodecagonal shape to provide a first peripheral fluid-tight wall W The support 5 may not necessarily be tubular, but a solid pole may alternatively be used.

After the first peripheral wall W has been completed, three bottom plates 7 having a plurality of holes 6 and spaced apart by a suitable distance are welded to the inner face of the first peripheral wall W The number of the bottom plates 7 may be varied as desired, while it is preferable that the holes 6 be not in overlapping relation as seen in FIG. 2.

A second set of pipes 2 to be joined to the upper edges of the side plates 4 are then welded together, and blocks 3 are welded onto the upper end of the supports 5 as seen in FIG. 3, the pipes 2 being joined together, with interposing blocks 3, into a second hollow ring R At least one of the pipes of each ring is provided with a valve 8 which supplies sea water into the pipes to sink the structure already fabricated. It may be desirable to provide valves on two or more pipes to permit ready venting of the air within the ring. After the second hollow ring R has been joined, sea. water is introduced into the first ring-R in such an amount that the second hollow ring R is brought to a suitable position to carry out subsequent construction work on the platform 1. After the assembled structure has been brought to such position, vertical side plates 4 are welded to the pipes 2 of the second hollow ring R and vertical tubular supports 5 are also welded to the joint blocks 3, the side plates 4 being welded together with supports 5 disposed between adjacent two side plates 4 as hereinbefore described. Thus, a second fluid-tight peripheral wall W is built up.

In the same manner a third hollow ring R a third peripheral wall W a fourth hollow ring R.,, a fourth peripheral wall W.,, a fifth hollow ring R a fifth peripheral wall W a sixth hollow ring R and so on up to an nth peripheral wall W,. and an nth hollow ring R, are constructed alternately into an upwardly extending joined structure. During construction, the structure already assembled will of course be lowered progressively to suitable working positions by charging sea water into one hollow ring after another. Finally, a cover plate 14 provided with an inlet opening 9 and an outlet opening 10 is welded in a fluid-tight manner to the nth ring R, along its periphery, thereby providing a tank T shown in FIG. 4. If desired, the cover plate may be secured to the nth peripheral wall. Similarly the bottom plate may be secured to the first ring rather than to the first peripheral wall. Although the tank T described above is dodecagonal, the tank may be built in any desired shape.

The foregoing members are all made of steel having high resistance to sea water or some other metal provided with an anticorrosion treatment. Furthermore each joint block 3 may be formed with a piercing hole for inserting the vertical supports 5 which extend above and below the block into the middle portion of the block so as to facilitate joining and welding operations.

The inlet 9 and the outlet 10 are each connected with a separate flexible tube 11 of a suitable length and the upper ends of the tubes 11 are secured to respective floats 13 on the sea and provided with valves 12 respectively. Alternatively, the valves 12 may be mounted at the inlet 9 and outlet 10 to be adapted for remote control. Finally sea water is charged into the nth hollow ring R, to sink the tank T to the bottom of the sea. At this time the outlet 10 serves as an air vent for escaping the air from the interior of the tank T.

Thus, the interior of the tank T is filled with sea water which has flowed in through holes 6 in the bottom plates 7. When oil is supplied into the tank T through the inlet 9, the sea water therein is forced out through the holes 6 and the oil fills the tank in place of sea water. Since the oil is more buoyant than the water, it will float in the tank above the water and be confined therein. When the outlet 10 is opened, the lighter oil is forced through the tube 11 by the water. If desired a pump may be provided at the water surface for withdrawing the oil from the tank.

While in the foregoing specification, a detailed description of a specific embodiment of our invention was set forth for the purpose of illustration, it is to be understood that many of the details herein given may be var ied considerably by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention.

We claim:

1. A method for fabricating a submarine tank in a body of water comprising the steps of joining a plurality of hollow pipes into a first hollow ring, at least one of said pipes being provided with valve means;

securing a generally vertically extending side plate to each pipe;

joining each adjacent pair of side plates to provide a first fluid-tight peripheral wall;

forming a second hollow ring on said first peripheral wall in the same manner as above, said second hollow ring being secured to said first peripheral wall;

introducing water into said first hollow ring through said valve means to lower the fabricated structure to a position suitable for a subsequent step of fabricating, and alternately constructing additional peripheral walls and additional hollow rings into an upwardly extending joined structure in the same manner as above while progressively lowering the already fabricated structure into the sea.

2. The method of claim 1 including the step of securing a bottom plate to the first peripheral wall after the wall is completed, the bottom plate having at least one opening therethrough.

3. The method of claim 1 including the step of securing a cover plate adjacent the top of the tank, the cover plate being provided with means for introducing fluid into and withdrawing fluid from the interior of the tank.

4. The method of claim 1 including the step of securing generally vertically extending supports between each adjacent pair of side plates of each peripheral wall before the next ring is formed, each support being secured to the rings above and below the support.

5. A submarine tank comprising a plurality of hollow rings disposed in generally vertically spaced relation, each ring being formed of a plurality of elongated hollow metal pipes joined end to end, the interior of each hollow pipe of each ring communicating with the interiors of the other pipes of the ring, valve means on each ring for introducing water into the hollow interior of the ring, a generally vertically extending substantially fluid-tight wall between each pair of adjacent rings, each wall being formed of a plurality of side plates, each side plate being secured to the pipes above and below the plate, and a vertically extending support positioned between each adjacent pair of side plates of each wall and secured thereto, each support being secured to the rings above and below the support.

6. A submarine tank comprising a plurality of hollow rings disposed in generally vertically spaced relation, each ring being formed of a plurality of elongated hollow metal pipes joined end to end, the interior of each hollow pipe of each ring communicating with the interiors of the other pipes of the ring, valve means on each ring for introducing water into the hollow interior of the ring, a generally vertically extending substantially fluid-tight wall between each pair of adjacent rings, each wall being formed of a plurality of side plates,

each side plate being secured to the pipes above and set from the openings of the other plate. 

1. A method for fabricating a submarine tank in a body of water comprising the steps of joining a plurality of hollow pipes into a first hollow ring, at least one of said pipes being provided with valve means; securing a generally vertically extending side plate to each pipe; joining each adjacent pair of side plates to provide a first fluid-tight peripheral wall; forming a second hollow ring on said first peripheral wall in the same manner as above, said second hollow ring being secured to said first peripheral wall; introducing water into said first hollow ring through said valve means to lower the fabricated structure to a position suitable for a subsequent step of fabricating, and alternately constructing additional peripheral walls and additional hollow rings into an upwardly extending joined structure in the same manner as above while progressively lowering the already fabricated structure into the sea.
 2. The method of claim 1 including the step of securing a bottom plate to the first peripheral wall after the wall is completed, the bottom plate having at least one opening therethrough.
 3. The method of claim 1 including the step of securing a cover plate adjacent the top of the tank, the cover plate being provided with means for introducing fluid into and withdrawing fluid from the interior of the tank.
 4. The method of claim 1 including the step of securing generally vertically extending supports between each adjacent pair of side plates of each peripheral wall before the next ring is formed, each support being secured to the rings above and below the support.
 5. A submarine tank comprising a plurality of hollow rings disposed in generally vertically spaced relation, each ring being formed of a plurality of elongated hollow metal pipes joined end to end, the interior of each hollow pipe of each ring communicating with the interiors of the other pipes of the ring, valve means on each ring for introducing water into the hollow interior of the ring, a generally vertically extending substantially fluid-tight wall between each pair of adjacent rings, each wall being formed of a plurality of side plates, each side plate being secured to the pipes above and below the plate, and a vertically extending support positioned between each adjacent pair of side plates of each wall and secured thereto, each support being secured to the rings above and below the support.
 6. A submarine tank comprising a plurality of hollow rings disposed in generally vertically spaced relation, each ring being formed of a plurality of elongated hollow metal pipes joined end to end, the interior of each hollow pipe of each ring communicating with the interiors of the other pipes of the ring, valve means on each ring for introducing water into the hollow interior of the ring, a generally vertically extending substantially fluid-tight wall between each pair of adjacent rings, each wall being formed of a plurality of side plates, each side plate being secured to the pipes above and below the plate, and a pair of vertically spaced bottom plates secured adjacent the bottom of each tank, each bottom plate being provided with a plurality of openings therethrough, the openings of each plate being offset from the openings of the other plate. 